cooking

I was recently invited to provide a meal for a local family following the daughter’s serious car accident. The mother would be spending significant time away from home, so, friends, neighbors, and even strangers volunteered to provide meals for the remaining family members. It’s a privilege to help in this way and it reminded me of the times my family has been the recipient of this incredible kindness.

Designate one person (a close friend, aquaintance or available family member) as the key contact person. This person can answer questions that people providing meals may have. Families facing a medical crisis may not have the time, energy, or availability to speak with everyone.

What should this contact person do?

Set up a schedule for food donations on http://www.takethemamealcom. Base the schedule on the family’s needs. For example, the family may only want meals delivered on weekdays.

Advise volunteers of food preferences and/or allergies.

Indicate the best time for delivery.

Advise volunteers where food should be left if no one is home at the time of the delivery.

Indicate if the family has room for any freezer items.

Give directions to people who need them.

Provide the family with a contact list of who will be coming by.

Cancel food donations when the family no longer needs help. Consider, as circumstanses permit, phasing out the schedule rather than going from 7 days a week delivery to no deliveries.

If using www.takethemameal.com, several of the above listed details are automatically handled by the website, which makes it a great time saver. Additionally, volunteers can see what foods are being provided. This allows for greater variety.

Tips for those volunteering to provide food:

Deliver food in disposable containers: plasticware, ziplock bags, covered aluminum trays or pans. While your dishes may be beautiful, it places an added burden on the family to return them and keep them from being broken. Also, young children may be the ones cleaning up after the meal. This enables them to help but you may not want a small child washing your favorite casserole dish.

Leave minimal preparation for the family. Salad? Send a pre-washed bag of lettuce. Remember all the fixings. Include extras such as cucumber slices, cherry tomatoes, carrot sticks and a box of croutons. Don’t forget bottled salad dressing(s).

Include written warming directions, if necessary. Don’t plan on giving verbal directions at the door – the person who answers the door may have never stepped foot in a kitchen. Also, there may not be anyone home at the time of your arrival and you may need to leave your food at a pre-designated place.

Consider weather and the age/demographics of the family when planning your meal. For example – cold salads might be appreciated on hot summer days. A family with lots of kids? They might prefer chicken nuggets to your favorite Aunt Lucy’s brussel sprout souflé.

Delivery of ice cream or frozen foods should only be made if you know someone will be home to accept them and if the family has room in their freezer.

Do not overfill containers. Place containers that could spill while being transported on a damp towel in a larger pan or tray. This will avoid any unwanted spills in your vehicle.

Include snack foods like cookies, fresh fruit. Consider items that could be eaten at breakfast, too.

Do not overstay your welcome when delivering. Send card(s) or use online methods to let the family know you are thinking of them.

Do not feel you have to be a gourmet cook to contribute – your contribution is a wonderful gift from the heart. The family facing a medical crisis will appreciate your generosity beyond measure.

what people are saying

We had Rudy Wilson Galdonik as our speaker at our women’s winter brunch. She had us spellbound as she shared her spiritual and physical journey as a lifelong heart patient. Rudy spoke with humor and honesty of the joys, struggles and battles she's faced. She had us both laughing and crying. Her story inspired many women that day, not only to look seriously at their own heart health, but also to see the joy of life. Rudy is a delightful woman, very personable, someone who on the first meeting, you feel you have known your whole life. I’d highly recommend her as a speaker.— Diane M Stevenson, Associate Pastor, Bethany Covenant Church, Berlin, CT